Caybourne
“Gauge first found Caybourne. He mapped the coasts and sent the first parties to explore the land. We found signs of previous civilizations here, but no living natives. A port was built at Shelter – the smaller island to the south-west, but it was Gauge’s son Keyair who established Caybourne’s first settlements.” ''- Elmer Twicefreed, 1014 AE'' Geography Caybourne and the island of Shelter are known for their rocky, tropical scenery. Where Shelter tends to be more scrubby, Caybourne itself has expansive jungles and plains, forests, and even a small desert. The eastern shore of Caybourne is notoriously rocky. Due to the elevation and northern position of Sylvie Isle, the mountainous island gets a regular dusting of snow in the cooler months. It is often exposed to harsh winds, so very little agricultural effort is made on the island. Commerce * Cocoa * Licorice * Fish * Ships * Exotic Birds / Animals * Jewellery Points of Interest * Ludlow Estate * Maria Vale (Small City) ** The Tome Shelf ** The Jun (Tourist location) * Sylvie Isle ** Heartstone Estate ** Lawoae (Village) * Shelter (Military Outpost) ** Ludlow Shipyards A number of thorps, hamlets, villages, and small towns dot Caybourne, with a very rare few on the harsh east coast. Culture and History Gauge Heartstone-Rodin, a merchant, was the first to discover Caybourne. To the confusion of nearby nations, Caybourne's existence was not known of as anything other than perilous reefs until Gauge's discovery in 970 AE. But when he found it, Caybourne didn't even have reefs. There is speculation that an invisibility charm was in place over the land and had eventually worn off by that time. Gauge claimed the smallest island and named it Shelter. He had a shipyard and dock constructed there. The second-largest island was named Sylvie Isle in honor of his mother. Gauge's son Keyair named the final largest island Caybourne (meaning 'the limit of the rocky bay'), and collectively the three isles would be known as such. In 973 AE the Ludlow Accord was formed in place of a House system. Although Keyair was in the highest position of power at this time, he made his young friend and protege Mancel Ludlow the lord of Caybourne. This was due to the way Mancel described how he visualized a just governing power, a concept which Keyair supported. With some Senate dealings, Mancel's brand new place in nobility was officiated. Caybourne was first settled by the crews of Keyair's mechant ships and their families. Then came an influx of Everglow's Halfmoon District people offered the chance to pioneer a new land. With Mancel's declaration that he would protect former slaves of any race, the High Felines were next to flood the population. The center of this growth was what became the city of Maria Vale, named by Keyair again. Due to the mix of cultures and races in Maria Vale, Caybourne came to be known as a rather accepting place - perhaps even moreso than most parts of Everglow City. For example, those accused of the 'crime' of homosexuality were all but ignored (although vigilante persecution by the people was unfortunately still common). But this also led to an Everglowian view that the Ludlow Accord was somewhat 'free and easy' with matters of law and decency. Fashion is varied, but Everglowian styles with a 'Caybourne twist' are common. This so-called twist usually involves beach-themed additions such as the incorporation of shells in jewellery. The High Feline population have made bank on promoting these trinkets and odds-and-ends to tourists. Noble Houses Ludlow Accord (ruling) Heartstone Family